This Week in Democracy - Week 13: Trump Mocks the Supreme Court
Zeteo's project to document the ongoing, week-by-week growth of authoritarianism in the Trump second term.
President Donald Trump has been back in the Oval Office for three months – nearly 100 days. Does it feel like three years to anyone else?
Trump’s assault on democracy has not relented. Over the last seven days, his administration and allies stepped up their attacks on academic freedom, the judiciary, and migrants. At the same time, the country also witnessed more pushback – from a senator traveling to El Salvador to meet with a mistakenly deported man to a judge threatening to open contempt proceedings against Trump officials.
Here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Week 13’:
Saturday, April 12
The ACLU filed a third lawsuit to block the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans currently detained in Colorado to El Salvador.
CNN reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has administered lie detector tests to roughly 50 staffers, including FEMA’s acting administrator and other agency officials, in an effort to identify potential leaks of national security information.
The Washington Post reported that a senior Social Security Administration executive was escorted out of his office by security and placed on leave after he objected to the Trump government’s effort to add thousands of living immigrants to the agency’s deaths database. Putting someone who is alive on the death database prevents them from being able to legally earn wages, and, according to the Post, “officials hoped, [spur] them to leave the country.”
Sunday, April 13
On Truth Social, Trump said New York State Attorney General Letitia James should resign, calling her a “totally corrupt politician” and a “wacky crook.” In 2022, James’ office sued the Trump Organization for fraud, resulting in over $450 million in fines and Trump being barred from operating any business in New York for three years.
After ‘60 Minutes’ broadcast segments on Ukraine and Greenland, Trump called for CBS to lose its broadcasting license, baselessly referring to the news program as “a dishonest Political Operative” and urging FCC chairman Brendan Carr to “impose the maximum fines and punishment” for the network’s “unlawful and illegal behavior.”
The Washington Post reported that the State Department found that the Trump administration failed to produce any evidence showing that Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk engaged in antisemitic activities or supported a terrorist organization, raising doubts about the government’s deportation case against her.
The Trump administration argued it has no legal obligation to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the US, falsely claiming it only has to admit him into the country if the El Salvador government chooses to release him.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Twitter that the US deported 10 more migrants to El Salvador’s mega-prison over the weekend.
Monday, April 14
The White House website published an article titled “The NPR, PBS Grift Has Ripped Us Off for Too Long.” The article accused the public broadcasters of spreading “radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’” Among the “examples” of so-called propaganda the article referenced were a 2024 documentary about reparations, a 2020 Sesame Street town hall on CNN titled “Coming Together: Standing Up To Racism,” and a 2020 podcast on fat-phobia and its racist past.
On Truth Social, Trump blamed Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying they “did an absolutely horrible job in allowing this travesty to happen.” Trump said the war never would’ve happened if the 2020 election wasn’t “rigged.”
Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student and green card holder who led demonstrations at Columbia University, went to a citizenship interview, only to be arrested by ICE agents. Later that day, a federal judge temporarily blocked Mahdawi from being deported or removed from Vermont while his lawyers challenge the legality of his deportation.
A group of US universities sued the Department of Energy over a policy change that would reduce federal research funding for the post-secondary institutions.
Five former Jan. 6 prosecutors signed on to a letter calling for an investigation of interim US Attorney for DC Ed Martin over the probes he opened into political opponents, for aiding defendants he previously represented, and for engaging in improper communication practices.
Meanwhile, Martin sent a letter to the editor of a medical journal asking if the publication is partisan in relation to “various scientific debates,” along with how it handles “misinformation” and “competing viewpoints.”
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants in Colorado to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act.
An AP reporter and photographer attempted to join the press pool in the Oval Office, but were denied access, despite a court order prohibiting the Trump administration from blocking AP reporters from covering White House events.
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking the legal status and work permits of over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who entered the US under a Biden-era parole program.
After Harvard University said it would not comply with a list of demands from the Trump administration, the government announced it was freezing $2.3 billion in federal funding to the school.
On Fox, White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller claimed that returning Abrego Garcia to the US would constitute a “kidnapping” and an “invasion of El Salvador’s sovereignty,” adding that he was “not mistakenly sent to El Salvador,” despite the Trump administration admitting so in court.
Trump hosted El Salvador President Nayib Bukele for a White House visit. During an Oval Office meeting, Attorney General Pam Bondi said that it was up to El Salvador to decide if it wanted to return Abrego Garcia to the US. Shortly after, Bukele claimed that he does not have the power to do so.
Before the press pool entered the Oval Office for the meeting, Trump was heard on a government live stream telling Bukele he wants to go after the “home-growns” next, suggesting he would send US citizens to El Salvador. Speaking to reporters, Trump said he has no problem sending naturalized American citizens there.
Trump also attacked CNN, baselessly claiming the network doesn’t want to cover positive polling about his presidency because “they hate our country.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene disclosed that she purchased up to $315,000 in stock the day before and on the day Trump announced he was pausing his massive tariff plan.
CNN reported that Letitia James is reviewing possible insider trading by Trump administration officials and associates in connection with the president’s 90-day tariff pause.
Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency sent a criminal referral letter to the Justice Department requesting an investigation into James for allegedly "falsifying records” to receive favorable loan terms. James’ office responded by saying she “will not be intimidated by bullies – no matter who they are.”
The non-profit organization Protect Democracy Project sued the Office of Management and Budget and its director Russell Vought for removing a database on the office’s website that shows how federal funding is disbursed to agencies.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s roughly $1 billion in deals with prominent law firms have been facilitated by his personal attorney Boris Epshteyn, who has been indicted in Arizona for trying to help overturn the 2020 election (he has pleaded not guilty).
Tuesday, April 15
Trump threatened to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status if the university “keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness,’” suggesting it should instead be taxed as a “Political Entity.”
CNN reported that the Trump administration is considering closing up to 30 foreign embassies and consulates.
During a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the prospect of sending US citizens to El Salvador is “a legal question that the president is looking into.”
Leavitt also noted that Trump wants Harvard University to apologize “for the egregious antisemitism that took place on their college campus against Jewish American students.”
Trump signed a memorandum to stop undocumented immigrants and other “ineligible” people from receiving Social Security benefits. (The Social Security Act requires nonresidents to have legal status in order to access benefits, or be a representative payee on behalf of an eligible beneficiary, which could include elderly individuals or children and adults living with disabilities).
Rubio announced the cancellation of 139 grants worth $214 million in an effort to reduce the State Department’s spending. Meanwhile, a DOGE associate who helped dismantle USAID was named acting head of foreign interference at the State Department.
On Fox, border czar Tom Homan said that if Abrego Garcia were to be returned to the US, he would be “detained and removed” again.
Speaking to reporters later, Homan said leaders of sanctuary cities and states should “absolutely” be prosecuted and potentially incarcerated, saying “hold tight on that one, because it’s coming.”
Reuters reported that Dan Caldwell, one of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s top advisers, was escorted from the Pentagon and placed on administrative leave over an alleged “unauthorized disclosure” of information. Politico reported that the Pentagon’s deputy chief of staff was also placed on administrative leave.
Trump reiterated that he “would love” to send US citizens to El Salvador’s mega-prison.
A federal judge launched a two-week inquiry into the Trump administration’s refusal to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to the US, saying “nothing has been done” to do so.
The NAACP sued the Trump administration over its anti-DEI policies in schools, arguing that it violates the Civil Rights Act.
The Justice Department fired the immigration lawyer previously put on administrative leave after he admitted in court that Abrego Garcia’s deportation never should have happened.
On Truth Social, Trump accused Comcast of trying to avoid lawsuits by spinning off MSNBC, calling the media conglomerate and its chairman Brian Roberts “a disgrace to the integrity of Broadcasting.”
A federal judge wrote that the executive branch “failed” to follow the law when Trump issued a widespread federal funding freeze.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from clawing back at least $14 billion in Biden-era climate grants.
In another case, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze billions of dollars dedicated to funding climate and infrastructure projects.
A federal judge temporarily blocked most of Trump’s sanctions against law firm Susman Godfrey, one of many firms the president has targeted through executive orders.
The Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) announced it is creating investment portfolios to support “non-woke” companies. Trump, the majority shareholder of TMTG, stands to financially benefit from the move.
NBC News reported that documents filed by the Trump administration in the case to deport Mahmoud Khalil included unverified tabloid articles about the former Columbia University student. Additionally, some documents included claims about Khalil that are “clearly erroneous because timelines don’t match.”
Wednesday, April 16
On Truth Social, Trump claimed that Harvard University has “lost its way,” saying the school has hired “almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains,’ that it’s no longer “even a decent place of learning,” and it should no longer receive federal funding.
He also complained about the ruling blocking his administration from revoking the legal status of over 500,000 migrants, calling the judge “radicalized” and saying the courts are “totally OUT OF CONTROL.”
CNN reported that the Trump administration is planning to cut about one-third of the federal health budget, including slashing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by more than 40%, and decimating programs focused on domestic HIV/AIDS prevention, gun violence, youth violence prevention, drowning, minority health and others. The plan would also consolidate dozens of health programs and departments into the “Administration for a Healthy America.”
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from implementing cuts to university federal research funding by the Energy Department.
Judge James Boasberg found that there is probable cause to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for their “willful disregard” of his court order to halt deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg said the administration can “purge” its contempt by returning the individuals to the US that he ordered not to be sent to El Salvador and give them due process.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland traveled to El Salvador to get answers about the deportation of Abrego Garcia and the failure to return him to the US. Van Hollen met with the country’s vice president, who he says told him that the country is continuing to hold the Maryland father in custody because “the Trump administration is paying the government of El Salvador to keep him” at the notorious prison known as CECOT.
Federal judges in Nevada and California temporarily blocked the Trump administration from immediately deporting two Venezuelan men under the Alien Enemies Act.
Twenty-one individuals whose death sentences were commuted by Biden to life in prison sued the Trump administration, saying his executive order directing Bondi to ensure they are “imprisoned in conditions consistent with the monstrosity of their crimes and the threats they pose” is unconstitutional.
The DC circuit court blocked a federal judge’s ruling that directed the disbursement of at least $14 million in Biden-era climate federal grants, with the funds remaining frozen while the court examines the ruling.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and State Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Trump administration in an effort to block tariffs, arguing the president doesn’t have the authority to unilaterally impose them.
Bondi announced the DOJ filed a lawsuit against Maine, challenging the state’s policy on trans athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Maine Gov. Janet Mills says there are at most only two trans athletes participating in school sports.
The New York Times reported that the nine law firms that signed agreements with the Trump administration to provide a cumulative total of nearly $1 billion in pro bono legal work could end up helping Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, aiding the Justice Department and represent Trump or his allies if they become the subject of investigations.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to Harvard University requesting records on international students who have allegedly participated in “dangerous or violent activity” or risk losing its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, meaning the school would no longer be allowed to admit international students. Noem also announced the termination of over $2.7 million in DHS grants to the university, saying in a news release that Harvard is “unfit to be entrusted with taxpayer dollars.”
A third Pentagon employee was placed on administrative leave, with CNN reporting that the official was escorted out of the Defense Department’s headquarters. CNN quoted an unnamed defense source as saying: “This is a purge of people who had disagreements with the Pentagon chief of staff.”
Rubio announced the State Department will close its Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office, claiming it “spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving.”
The IRS is reportedly considering revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status.
The Wall Street Journal reported that El Salvador’s Bukele is planning to double the size of the country’s mega-prison, which is already the world’s largest prison, to hold up to 80,000 people. The article notes that “any prison expansion would likely be geared toward holding more foreign inmates.”
Sebastian Gorka, a deputy assistant to the president and the White House senior director for counterterrorism, suggested that individuals who oppose the deportation of Abrego Garcia (who has not been convicted of any crime) may be “aiding and abetting a terrorist.”
On Twitter, FCC Chair Brendan Carr went after Comcast, saying their news networks “spent days misleading the American public” about Abrego Garcia’s case after the White House complained that MSNBC didn’t carry a press briefing about deportations live. He wrote, “Comcast knows that federal law requires its licensed operations to serve the public interest. News distortion doesn’t cut it.”
The Trump administration named Gary Shapley, the IRS supervisor and whistleblower in the Hunter Biden tax investigation, as the agency’s new acting commissioner.
Thursday, April 17
The Trump administration announced that the State Department will be vetting the social media of all visa applicants who have been to the Gaza Strip since 2007, the year Hamas took over Gaza.
The administration is proposing the termination of funding for Head Start programs across the country, which offer early education to over 500,000 low-income children.
A secret assessment from the National Intelligence Council determined that the Venezuelan government isn’t directing an invasion of the US by Tren de Aragua, challenging Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act.
The Washington Post reported that, in March, a Trump administration official asked the IRS to review an audit of MyPillow CEO and Trump ally Mike Lindell, over concerns that he may have been “inappropriately targeted.” Tax experts called the request “highly unusual.”
A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s request to block a lower court’s order to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the US. The ruling noted that the government’s position on the case should be “shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans still hold dear.”
A federal judge temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing sensitive Social Security data. Critics said the access request from DOGE posed risks to taxpayers.
The Trump administration filed an emergency motion to block contempt proceedings in the Alien Enemies Act case, saying the move would be “unconstitutional.”
Lawyers representing more than 100 international students appealed to a federal court to block the Trump administration from revoking their visas. "We have people who are getting ready to defend their doctoral thesis," one of the attorneys said. "[They were just told] they're no longer students of the university.”
On Truth Social, Trump called for the firing of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, saying he is “always TOO LATE AND WRONG,” and that his termination “cannot come fast enough.” Powell, whose term ends in May 2026, says Trump doesn’t have the authority to fire him, except for “cause.”
The Supreme Court said it will hear arguments in May related to Trump’s executive order to ban birthright citizenship.
The Trump administration began firing nearly 90% of staff at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), after a federal court ruled last week that the agency can be shrunk but not eliminated.
Speaking to reporters, Trump hinted that he may revoke the tax-exempt status for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a non-profit watchdog organization that has been tracking the president’s corruption and has filed lawsuits against him and his administration.
CBS News reported that the Food and Drug Administration is planning to end most of its routine food safety inspections.
On Twitter, Newsom announced that California will sue the Trump administration over DOGE cuts to AmeriCorps, a volunteer program for young adults to aid in disaster relief and community service projects.
Friday, April 18
Speaking to reporters, Rubio warned that the US could “move on” from its efforts to end the war in Ukraine within “days” if a resolution isn’t reached. (Trump campaigned on ending the war “in one day.”)
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from fast-tracking deportations of immigrants to third countries without giving them the opportunity to challenge the move in court.
A federal judge paused the Trump administration’s firing of nearly 90% of CFPB staff, saying she was “deeply concerned” about the move.
The White House Twitter account posted an edited version of the New York Times front page that covered Van Hollen’s Thursday meeting with Abrego Garcia. Among the edits, the White House marked out “wrongly” from the original headline, which read, “Senator Meets With Wrongly Deported Maryland Man in El Salvador,” and added “who is never coming back.” The Supreme Court unanimously ruled last week that the administration must “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to the US.
Van Hollen gave an emotional press conference about his meeting with Abrego Garcia, saying the Trump administration is “lying about what this case is about.”
The Maryland senator said Abrego Garcia had been transferred from the CECOT prison nine days ago to a lower-level detention center, but he is still experiencing a “total blackout” from the outside world.
Van Hollen also said that the Salvadoran government acknowledged that Abrego Garcia had committed no crimes in the country. The nation’s vice president, according to Van Hollen, said that the Maryland father is “here because the Trump administration is paying us to keep him here.”
The New York Times reported that, after two days, Gary Shapley is being replaced as acting commissioner of the IRS, after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Musk and DOGE of working to install Shapley without his knowledge.
More than 1,550 international students at over 240 colleges and universities have had their student visas revoked, and in many cases, their legal statuses terminated by DHS, according to an Inside Higher Ed tracker.
A federal judge rejected a request from AP to enforce his court order requiring the White House to restore full access to Trump, saying he doesn’t “intend to micromanage the White House.”
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to transfer Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, who was detained by masked immigration authorities last month, from Louisiana to Vermont by May 1.
The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that the list of demands the Trump administration emailed to Harvard last week was “unauthorized” and should not have been sent at that time. The demands have sparked a showdown between the university and the administration, with the school publicly stating that it will not give in to them. Trump then froze billions in federal funding for the university, and suggested the school could lose its tax-exempt status.
A federal appeals court temporarily halted a plan by a lower court to open contempt proceedings to determine if the Trump administration violated a judge’s order to stop deportation flights transporting Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act last month.
The Trump administration announced it was creating a new category of federal workers who can be fired for any reason, including “subversion of presidential directives.” The administration estimated that about 50,000 federal positions would be moved into the new “at-will” category.
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One reason the past three months feel like years and longer is because I am spending much time anticipating where this is headed. Comparing this to 1933 with the purges and defiance of norms and complicity of those who know better, I can’t help from seeing what is down the road if we don’t stop it now….kristallnacht, invasions of other countries, more concentration camps, huge economic disaster, a big war where we are on the wrong side and which we lose.
Flooding happening, we are losing the grip.